As always late to the party, but picked up the Complete Edition for a mere €30 a couple of days ago. It was too much of a bargain to refuse!

This game had been on my wishlist for a long time but the setting put me off in the end (robots in a tribal world? which world are we living in?). Especially considering I have a load of other games in my backlog.

Having played 15 hours so far and really digging the story and combat. And it is all starting to make sense, the robots and whatnots. The only part that sucks for me is having to grind for crafting materials. Also as a PC player, aiming with the controller is my biggest weakness so it does get very tough during combat with bigger machines. I wish there was a more noob-friendly aim-assist but I can live with it.

Interesting because I didn't come across such glitches, at least none that would stand out. Maybe they have patched those?

Regardless, the setting has grown on me because, unlike my initial feeling, it all now makes sense once I've dug deep in the story. In fact the whole story is very well done, as well as the dialogues. A reminder to myself not to judge a book by its cover.

Coming from AC: Origins and having finished that game, I can see why Horizon has won more accolades. For me, AC was a casual experience. It is one of those games that you could play while talking to someone else, watching TV on the side and listening to music in the background. Towards the end I barely died, easily finished boss fights and Trials on my first try on Hard without them presenting me with any challenges at all.

On Horizon, even getting from A to B on the map can be challenging as at times you have to fight several mighty beasts that could kill you in a couple of shots, and this is on Normal! I feel like I can't really chill when I play Horizon, I have to be alert at all times, and this is what I will call a real videogame. Although this is not always a good thing especially if I'm back from a long day of mental/physical activity and want a more relaxing experience.

Another thing to note is how I'm feeling the need to use everything I have in my arsenal of abilities and weapons every now and then. On most games, I refuse to use traps, grenades etc. because it is often just easier to go for the kill from the start (e.g. AC). Here, you simply cannot barge in or shoot everything from distance. And this adds depth to the gameplay in how you approach a group of enemies.

My biggest gripe is shooting, which I suck at with a controller. I am failing to score the highest price in the majority of those Hunter challenges solely because of my lack of dexterity with a controller. My experience would have been so much more enjoyable with a keyboard + mouse.

PS: Any word on gear? At the moment I still have my gear from the Proving and I'm level 21 I seem to have most of the materials and shards for the Epic (purple) gear but I'm just wondering whether I should stay put and save my shards for better gear presumably available later on in the game?

You get the best available weapons from achieving the highest ranks in hunter challenges, and then turning them in to the Hunter's Guild or whatever they're called. With that being said, "the best weapons" are only marginally better than the second best, which can be bought from vendors if I remember correctly.

When i say glitches i mean specific like eye contact loses contact and mouth moves weirdly.

Nothing overly ridiculous or anything or even bad but it's noticeable.

On maybe they patched it, it's possible because they made significant improvements for the DLC ( like really obvious ones) so it might effect the main game too i wouldn't know.

Agree with you on the combat, for much of the game i felt like i was constantly living in a world where i was in danger at all times. While for a lot it i didn't really struggle it still gave off the feel that i needed to pay attention.

As for Gear, you'll want to get the Purple stuff as it's the best in the game by far. Focus on Bow's and Ropecaster as a matter of necessity but if you like bombs and other stuff then get them too.

I spent 75% of the game using the most basic bow and I played it on the hardest difficulty. Weapons doesn't matter much till the very end as long as you know your surrounding well. There are way too many spots you can go to where machines won't touch you.